Deputy Who Arrested Mel Gibson Can Proceed with Lawsuit, Judge Says

A former Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's deputy who arrested Mel Gibson in Malibu nearly five years ago for DUI was told by a judge Tuesday that he can proceed with a harassment and discrimination lawsuit against L.A. County, City News Service reported.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John A. Kronstad denied a motion by defense attorneys that Deputy James Mee's Sept. 7 filing of the suit came after the deadline. 

Mee alleges he was harassed by sheriff’s department management and has been denied several job opportunities within the department after the arrest of Gibson. The deputy, who is Jewish, also claims he was told to remove information from the incident report about Gibson’s anti-Semitic statements made during the arrest. Mee stopped Gibson on Pacific Coast Highway in July 2006 while the actor/filmmaker was driving from  to his Serra Canyon home.

Gibson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor DUI in August 2006. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to three years' probation, ordered to attend AA meetings and enroll in a substance abuse program and fined $1,300. Also, his driver's license was restricted for 90 days.

Mee now works at the sheriff's station in Santa Clarita, his attorney told CNS.